Congo Ebola treatment center staff strike over unpaid salaries

Congo Ebola treatment center staff strike over unpaid salaries

Dozens of workers at an Ebola virus treatment center in northeast Congo went on strike Monday over unpaid salaries and bonuses. The protest at Rwampara General Hospital in Ituri province has shuttered the facility and seen staff block the access road, including burning a tire outside.

The striking personnel include a range of critical roles, including epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers and gravediggers. Some workers and those on the ground began striking last week, accusing authorities of failing to pay their wages since the outbreak began.

"We don’t know how it is possible to not have been paid for two months,"

Bahati Claude, health worker, via The Associated Press

The unrest comes as Congo battles what the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recently described as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded on the continent. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.

Congolese authorities confirmed 1,926 cases and 702 deaths. The virus has recently spread to two more provinces, including Kisangani, one of the largest cities in the country.

According to the World Health Organization, the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, though the disease had been transmitting for weeks without detection. Experts stated this delay occurred because tests were initially conducted for a more common type of Ebola.

Government Response and Local Challenges

Health Minister Roger Kamba visited Ituri last week and stated that the government is currently verifying payroll lists. Kamba noted that unrelated names had been added to the payroll, which has complicated the payment process.

"We must ensure that these payments reach the right people,"

Roger Kamba, Congolese health minister, via The Associated Press

Kamba attributed the complaints to challenges with list changes but maintained that the government has the means to resolve the issue. Congolese officials said they are in talks with the health workers to find a solution.

The medical response is further complicated by regional instability. In Goma, a humanitarian hub and major city, rebels backed by Rwanda seized control over a year ago. Health centers have faced attacks from a population wary of outsiders and traumatized by armed groups. Some residents have accused the outbreak of being a scam, while others have expressed anger over restrictions on traditional funerals where bodies are washed and prepared.

Treatment Research and International Impact

Earlier this month, a study began in Ituri province to test two potential treatments for the Bundibugyo virus. The study is currently limited to one treatment center, which is not the Rwampara General Hospital where the strike is occurring. Officials intend to expand the study to other locations once safety permits.

The research involves two candidates: remdesivir, a broad-acting antiviral from Gilead Sciences approved for COVID-19, and MBP134, engineered antibodies from Mapp Biopharmaceutical. The World Health Organization warned that determining if either drug works could take months and may require up to 1,000 participants.

The outbreak has also affected international workers. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X on Monday that a second U.S. Citizen—a humanitarian worker in eastern Congo—was transferred to Germany after contracting the virus. A doctor working in Congo during the early weeks of the outbreak was the first American to test positive.

The current strike threatens to spread to other under-equipped facilities, which could further hinder containment efforts in a region defined by bare-bones infrastructure.